i just don't know where they went... and no idea where to look... 1 person needs an answerI do too

Mine went a few weeks ago too... I copied them back from another computer - but was really stumped as to why media player had gone missing too (with the desktop icon removed at the same time - not just a broken link!) I found out that media player had been hidden as a system-critical application when I tried to overwrite it. I don't know if something similar happened to calculator/ notepad/ paint/ character map etc as I had replaced them already by that time. This may not help - but if anyone knows the real reason why they went for a burton (i.e. what cause - I suspect a 'helpful' update), I'd be interested too... Cheers, J

Is the entire Accessories tab and everything under it missing from the Start menu, Programs?See if the calculator exectuable is still on your system or if just the shortcuts are missing:Clisk Start, Run and in the box enter:%SystemRoot%\system32\calc.exeClick OK and describe what happens. Please provide additional information about your system:What is your system make and model?What is your XP Version and Service Pack?Describe your current antivirus and anti malware situation: McAfee, Symantec, Norton, Spybot, AVG, Avira!, MSE, Defender, ZoneAlarm, PC Tools, Comodo, etc.Do you have a genuine bootable XP installation CD (this is not the same as any Recovery CDs that came with your system)?Fill in the blank: My system was working fine until: ____________________________________________. While you are waiting, perform some scans for malicious software:Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware detection programs:Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/They can be uninstalled later if desired.When the scans run clean, then troubleshoot any remaining issues.Do, or do not. There is no try.I need YOUR votes and points for helpful replies and Propose as Answers. I am saving up for a pony!